Blog Archives

1896
The City Council declined to re-establish the chili stands on Alamo Plaza despite petitions from citizens. Also, the council awarded the contract for putting a roof on the Alamo to D. Lehr for $285. This does not include the replacing of dirt roofs on parts of the building.

1918 – World War I
More than 3,000 draftees from Texas and Oklahoma, vanguard of a force of 10,000 which is to be mobilized at Camp Travis within the next five days, passed through the receiving station yesterday. The number is the greatest to report to the camp on a single day since its establishment more than seven months ago.

1960
Joske’s closes the Chuckwagon and Camelia Room restaurants when African-American customers ask for service there.

1918 – World War I
Daylight saving now awaits only President Wilson’s approval. House amendments to the daylight saving bill requiring all time-pieces to be advanced one hour, beginning the last Sunday in March were accepted by the Senate.

1918 – World War I
Lieut. Orion L. Mitchell, a flying instructor at Kelly Field, and Cadet Raymond Wakefield were killed late yesterday in a flying accident. The plane in which Lt. Mitchell and Cadet Wakefield were flying collided with a plane piloted by Cadet J. W. Templeton and the two planes, fastened together by the wings, fell 300 feet to the ground. Templeton was painfully injured and remains in the Kelly Field Hospital.

1960
The San Antonio Youth Council of the NAACP sends out letters to six local businesses requesting that they desegregate their lunch counters. Harry V. Burns, state youth director for the NAACP, says the plan is to work out a desegregation plan that everyone could observe at once, thus putting no one in the position of being first. Burns indicated that unless Negroes are seated and served generally, they will plan at this Thursday’s meeting a series of sitdown campaigns in the manner of those conducted recently in other southern cities.

2015
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush terminates the 110-year custodianship of the Alamo by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

1917 – World War I
The “dare devil” riders of Motorcycle Company 303 are now stationed at Ft. Sam Houston. This company is one of three that has been organized for the carrying of dispatches and the execution of daring and dangerous work between battle lines.

1926
San Antonio may have a professional football season of six weeks starting Dec. 15. Officials of the Buffalo, N.Y. Bisons are reportedly in contact with the owners of League Park in efforts to use the space as a field.

1960Joske’s debuts their Christmas “Fantasy Land” on the fourth floor of their main store downtown. (Photo courtesy of the Institute of Texan Cultures.)

1917 – World War I
The men at Camp Travis are to carry wooden rifles, due to the inability to obtain real rifles for bayonet and other practice, resulting in a decision to equip the infantry brigades with wooden guns. An order has been placed for many thousands.of these make-believe weapons and before many days pass the men will be engaged in fencing, and bayonet practice using the wooden guns.
They will also be provided long round sticks on one end of which is a small rope tied into a knot. This is used as a defense stick in connection with bayonet practice.

1939
Restoration on La Villita is begun with O’Neil Ford as architect.

1960
Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy makes a campaign stop in San Antonio. Kennedy told the crowd gathered in front of the Alamo, “In 1960, the cause of all mankind is the cause of all Americans.”

1917 – World War I
Men from every section of Texas and Oklahoma slept at Camp Travis last night. Special trains have poured their thousands into the great training cantonment for four days, and by nightfall approximately 17,270 men of the second draft call had responded.

1960
North Star Mall opens at the corner of San Pedro and Loop 410. (above)
(photo courtesy of the San Antonio Express-News “From the Vault” blog)

1972
President Nixon and the First Lady make a brief appearance in San Antonio at the airport before flying back to Washington today. President Nixon made appearances in several South Texas cities on a two-day campaign tour.

1936
Demetrio Jose “Joe” Esquivel (right) dies in San Antonio. In 1882, Esquivel, along with his brother Tony, drove cattle from Texas to Wyoming, where their skills with horses caught the attention of William F. Cody, who was assembling his troupe for the first season of the Wild West exhibition. Joe was hired as “chief of cowboys,” and Tony was hired as a bucking-horse rider and trick rider. The brothers, whose father was Hispanic and mother was Polish, were born in Panna Maria.

1960
Sears on Romana Plaza opens their new three-level “ultra-modern” parking garage. (The downtown Central Library still uses this garage.)

1963
Archbishop Lucey dedicates new Catholic Chancery building at 9123 Lorene Lane on city’s North Side.

1947
For a full hour, three times daily and uninterrupted except for 15 minutes of cowboy music, the commercial use of television is being demonstrated on the fourth floor of Joske’s – the first display of television in the state of Texas (right). Some of the spectators have made inquiries about the cost of the television machines and if they are for sale. They can be purchased for about $350 ($3,793.95 in 2016 dollars!) and stored in the attic until television is here to stay.

1960
The Dallas Cowboys play their first game in the state of Texas right here in San Antonio – an exhibition game in Alamo Stadium against the newly relocated (from Chicago) St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals, featuring Texas Aggies John David Crow & Bobby Joe Conrad, win, 20-13.

Thursday, May 24, 2018, 1 – 1:45pm Low impact workouts are a great way to get active while reducing the risk of injury! Low Impact Circuit Training classes are easier on the body removing certain exercises that place more stress on the hip & knee joints; running/sprinting and jumping. The goal of each class is to provide a total body workout. Branch Loca […]

Thursday, May 24, 2018, 3:30 – 5pm [For ages 13 to 18 only] Come hang out to cure your boredom and make new friends (or see your old ones). Weekly activities vary, and it's up to you to help decide what we do.Join us as we play your pick from a variety of different video games! Branch Location: Tobin Library Address: 4134 Harry Wurzbach, San Antonio, TX […]

Thursday, May 24, 2018, 4 – 5pm Need help downloading eBooks to your tablet or phone? Sign up for a 30 minute one on-one-session and library staff will assist you in learning how to use your mobile device, tablet, or new laptop in conjunction with downloading digital content from SAPL such as eBooks, eAudiobooks, and movies. Bring your device and account inf […]